Final Fantasy XIII-2: Chaos Rising
by otaku9
Summary: Everyone seems to think they know Caius Ballad; the evil feminine man in purple who is so determined to save Yeul that he doesn't care who gets hurt. But, what if someone went into his past, when he didn't have the Heart of Chaos, before he became Yeul's guardian? Read to find out.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own _Final Fantasy XIII-2. _

Final Fantasy XIII-2: Chaos Rising

_Chapter 1_

It was a dark and rainy night in the prosperous city of Paddra. The quiet and peaceful night was broken, by a loud scream coming from the house on the corner.

"Push honey! Push!" A tall man with long purple hair and golden eyes told the woman in the bed.

The woman was screaming. "I-I can't Hadrian, I just can't! It…It hurts too much!" Her purple eyes were full of pain.

"Hang in there, Elena!" the man called Hadrian yelled.

"Mrs. Ballad, just one more push and the baby will be out." The mid-wife kept telling her.

But it was never just one more push. There was always another. Everything hurt and she wished she could just lie down and go to sleep.

Finally, the cries of a baby were heard and Elena fell back on the bed in relief.

"It's a boy." The mid-wife picked up the little bundle and wrapped him up in a blanket. And when Elena looked up at the baby, she knew then and there, that the horrible, excruciating pain was worth it.

The little face, like her own was peacefully asleep. Already, purple hair was starting to grow from the little one's head and his eyelids, covering his eyes, were fluttering, indicating he was dreaming. About what? She didn't know.

Hadrian walked over to her, taking the sleeping baby from the mid-wife.

"He's beautiful." Elena told him.

"He is." Hadrian agreed. "He has your beautiful face. The face that is always full of sunshine and warmth." And Elena gave that smile to him, the smile that was one of the reasons why he loved her.

Then, a sneaking, but mischievous smile came onto her face. "Then, it's official." And she held out her arms for Hadrian to put the baby in.

"What is?" Hadrian asked, handing her the baby.

"The baby's name, of course." She looked down at her sleeping baby. "Caius. Caius Ballad." The baby slowly opened his eyes and cooed, as if in response to his new name.

_End. Sorry it's a very short chapter, but I was unsure what to do with it. I'm also hoping people will give me ideas for future chapters._

_ Hadrian, by the way, according to one site, means "dark one" and Elena, according to another, means "sun ray, or shining light". I wanted there to be opposite personalities between his parents._

_ And, to explain, Elena chose Caius because Caius means "rejoice" or "happy" (see the irony)._


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own _Final Fantasy XIII-2. _

Final Fantasy XIII-2: Chaos Rising

_Chapter 2_

A few years later, Caius had grown into a healthy, happy boy, just like his mother. He was known around the village for having a curious mind and a kind heart.

He would always be wandering around the village, examining the beautiful flowers, the magnificent buildings, ("Most of these buildings are older than you are, dear.") and he would always be seen helping anyone who needed assistance, and was friendly to everyone in the village.

"Such a sweet boy," the villagers would comment. "Looks like his father, yet acts so much like his mother."

Unfortunately, as his happiness grew, the more his mother's happiness decreased. Caius had began to notice that his mother wasn't acting like herself.

"Momma," Caius had said one day, "Are you sick?" But she just stared out the window, just like she's been doing everyday.

"Honey," Hadrian had stood next to Elena, "You have to get up." He begged. But she didn't respond to him. She didn't respond to anyone.

For days and days, Elena just sat on the couch in their house, staring out the window at the sun. Why, no one knew.

Finally, one day, it was a damp and rainy day. Caius was playing with his miniature knight and horse.

"Help me, please!" He brought his voice up higher, mimicking a girl's voice.

"Never fear!" He lowered his voice down until it sounded like an older, more sophisticated man's voice (Think Liam O' Brien). "I shall help you fair princess!" He "raced" his horse across the floor of his room when he heard a loud thump.

"Elena!" He heard his father cry out. As Caius ran into the main room, he kept hearing his father say, "Elena, please wake up!" He looked to see his father standing over his mother, holding her limp body in his arms.

"Momma!" Caius ran over to his mom.

"Stay back, Caius!" Hadrian yelled back at his son. "Go get the healer!"

And with that, Caius flew out into the rain, all the way to the healer. He pushed open the door. "Healer Tabib!" He cried out. "My mommy needs help!"

When the healer got into the house, Caius's mom was beginning to cough blood, but she still remained unconscious.

"Mr. Ballad," Healer Tabib told Hadrian, "I need you and your son to please leave the room." Obeying the healer's orders, Hadrian picked up his son and carried him into one of the hallways.

"Daddy," Caius cried, tears streaming down his face, "What's happening to mommy?" He had never seen his mommy like this before.

"Your mother will be alright, Caius," Hadrian tried to assure his son, "She's just a bit sick, that's all."

Caius may have been a child, but somehow he knew, that his daddy was lying to him. For the next few hours, all Caius could hear was loud, quick, and rather dry coughing, his mother's screams, the pouring rain from outside, his own shivering, and his father's comforting heartbeats.

Then, Elena's screams stopped and her coughing softened drastically. When the healer stepped into the hallway, he had a somber look on his face.

"What's wrong?" Hadrian put his son down on the floor and walked up to the healer.

"Hadrian," Healer Tabib said, "I'm afraid I have some bad news: Your wife has some rather nasty disease. We are, however, unsure of what this disease is and I'm afraid there's no cure."

"Is there anything we can do for her?" Hadrian asked fearfully.

Healer Tabib shook his head. "I'm afraid not. The best thing for her is to see someone she loves before she goes." Hadrian picked up Caius and walked into the main room.

Elena was lying on the couch, her breathing shallow and slow.

"Elena," Hadrian whispered, stroking her blonde hair. Elena slowly opened her purple eyes to see Hadrian standing above her.

"Hadrian my love," she softly whispered, her voice too weak to even hear, "My darling, I love you. And Caius," She turned to her son, "You look so much like your father." Caius's hair had started to grow longer, almost matching his father's in length. His face was pointed in the same way his father's was. "You're going to be such a strong, brave man when you grow up, I just know it."

And he swore, Caius saw tears in his mother's eyes before she closed them for the last time.

"Elena, no!" Hadrian yelled out, hugging her body close to his, tears streaming out of his eyes. Caius just stood there, watching this sad scene. Even though he was only five years old, he was smart enough to know that his mother was never coming back.

_End. Please review and tell me what you think. And if you don't understand or you want more clarification on this chapter, please let me know._


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own _Final Fantasy XIII-2 or any ideas I use from other stories._

Final Fantasy XIII-2: Chaos Rising

_Chapter 4_

As the other children left the school building to go to their loving homes and families, 10 year old Caius Ballad just sat on the bench, watching these children.

_They are so lucky, _Caius just looked at them all sadly. _They are all going back to a nice, warm house, with a mom and a dad who love them and care for them. And all I've got is a cold lonely house with a father who can't even stand to look at me._

After his mother's death, Hadrian had changed for the worse. His world-famous temper flared more and more frequently. He became angry, bitter, at everything and everyone. Caius especially. Despite Caius's resemblance to his father, Hadrian somehow saw his wife in those beautiful purple eyes of his, and the smile that once graced his wife's face. To relieve his anger, and to punish Caius for his wife's death, Hadrian would attack his own child, shaking him from the ground up.

"You evil, vile, no good brat!" He would yell, beating his son with whatever was nearest him at that moment in time. Sometimes, he would even use his huge sword in his "punishment." (1) "Because of you, your mother is dead!" He kept yelling as he would continually attack Caius.

The doctor had said later after Elena died that she had suffered from a severe case of post-partum depression. (2 and 3) As a result, she lost the will to live and died.

"Do you know why Elena named you Caius?" He stepped up to his son, who was squished in a corner. "Because she had to apologize to the gods for giving birth to you!" (4) And Caius felt a huge cut from the sword.

Caius woke up the next morning, having fallen asleep in the corner, to see his father passed out on the couch, having drunk 5 whole bottles before. Quietly, so as not to wake his father, he walked into the bathroom to tend to his wounds.

Caius took off his shirt to see the huge cut from his father's sword. He pulled out a few bandages and began to wrap them in a criss-cross fashion (5) before tying it up. _Well, _Caius sighed, _I guess I have to write another excuse note for gym. _He pulled out a notepad and began to write, forging his father's normal hand-writing.

"Caius?" His teacher asked. "Can I speak to you?" This was after class, and once again, Caius wore the same long-sleeved purple turtleneck sweater with his baggy sweatpants. His teacher was concerned. For one thing, it was 80 degrees. Caius must be boiling under that warm turtleneck. Also, he's been distancing himself from his peers since his mother's death three years ago. He seemed to be hiding something.

"Ma'am," Caius said politely, "If I don't get to my next class, I'm-"This won't take a few seconds." She interrupted. "I'll write you a pass." With no escape out, Caius reluctantly walked up to his teacher's desk. "Caius," she explained, "You know you can tell me if something's wrong. I won't tell. I just want to help."

"Ma'am," Caius replied again, "I can assure you that I am fine."

"Are you sure, Caius?" The teacher asked again. "Anything wrong at home? I understand it's been tough since your mom died-"I'm fine!" Caius yelled out. "Now please, Ma'am, I have to get to my next class!" And he ran off before she could say anymore.

"Evil monster!" Hadrian yelled at him, slapping the poor boy across his face. "This is all your fault! You killed Elena! Why don't you just die and leave me to suffering?" Hadrian had just woken up from his nap on the couch and had a hangover.

"I'm sorry!" Caius yelled in a futile attempt to stop his father. "I'm sorry, Dad!"

"You're sorry?" Hadrian grinned an evil smile. "Oh, you're sorry." He turned to the counter. "If you're really sorry, my…'son'," He opened the drawer and pulled out a sharp knife. "Then die in Hell!" He swung the knife down.

"NO!" And Caius pushed his father. Hadrian, not used to this amount of resistance, nor the strength of his son, fell to the ground and hit the floor, unconscious.

"Dad?" Caius looked down at his father's unconscious face, looking for a response. He gently lift his father's arm up. It felt limp, but he wasn't cold. Caius dropped it down.

_Now's my chance. _Caius thought, running up to his room and packing up his belongings. _I have to get out of here before Dad wakes up. _Caius stopped packing for a brief moment. _But where will I go? I could stay at a friend's house, but then they'll find out about my dad and he'll be even angrier at me. Besides, I really don't have any friends. _What Caius needed was a safe place where he was protected by the cold and rain and he would be well-provided and cared for and he would never have to worry again.

_I don't know where to go. _He thought sadly. _I'll hide in the school for now, until I can find someplace safe to live. _(6) And so Caius continued packing, his last prized possession was a picture of his mom and dad, when he was 5.

He thought back to that fine spring day, on his 5th birthday. His mom and dad had taken him for the picnic in the mountains. They were smiling then, both his mother and father, and they were happy and he was happy. It was one of the first few times he had seen his father truly smile. It was also one of the first few times when his dad told him, "I love you."

Caius shook his head, trying to fight the tears coming from his eyes. _No. Don't think about those happy times. They're gone now, and they are never coming back. _As he tightened his bag, he opened his ears, trying to hear the sounds of his father. _He must still be unconscious. But still, I gotta be careful. _He poked his head out to see his father still knocked out on the kitchen floor. _He could just be pretending so he can grab me and attempt to kill me again. _

Caius stepped a foot out from his hiding place. Nothing. Then another. Nothing again. He continued to tiptoe through the parlor to the door and still nothing happened. Caius released the breath he had been holding and turned the doorknob. A squeak came from the door as he slowly opened up the door.

_Please, gods, _Caius prayed, _Don't let dad wake up. _He slowly turned back to see that his father hadn't moved at all, hadn't even stirred when the door opened. Breathing another sigh of relief, Caius quickly ran out the door, no longer looking back at the house.

Unfortunately, from the time Caius came home to the time he started packing and finally left the house, the sky was pouring with rain. _Oh sure, _Caius thought, _Now the gods cry for me. _

After some time, Caius felt wet, cold, and tired. _I'm stupid. _Caius thought to himself. _I should have never left the house. Now I'm cold and wet and all I want is to just go somewhere and be warm. _As Caius slumped to the ground, he saw a small playground. It wasn't the one the school had, no. It seemed to be one for younger children, children younger than him.

The playground had the usual things: swings, a couple of slides, a big playset…and a tunnel. The tunnel was closed up on the top, so it would protect Caius from the rain. It was small, but Caius thought he could fit through it. The wind blew through the tunnel, but Caius packed a few blankets so he could wrap himself up in warmth. Lastly, he would be safe here. His father wouldn't know where he went and, frankily, he wouldn't even care. He would be safe until the rain stopped.

So, Caius crawled into the tunnel (either the tunnel was smaller than he thought, or he was bigger than he thought), managed to wrap a lot of blankets around him, and settled down to sleep.

_Is this really my own fault? _Caius thought about his father's words. _Is the only reason why I'm suffering is by my own hand?_

_No, no it isn't young one. _A voice whispered in Caius's head. The voice was calm and soothing, like his own mother's. _You can't control what happens to you. _

_If only I could go back in time and save my mother from myself. _

_Don't listen to that awful man! _The voice yelled. That couldn't be his mother. His mother never called his father anything like that. _You are a special young boy and you are going to do great things._

_What would I do…that's so great? _Caius yawned in between his thought.

_Don't worry about it now, little one, _the voice assured him, _Just rest._ Then the voice started singing a song that Caius remember his mom singing when she was still alive. Caius fell asleep to the soothing voice. (8)

_End. If you're wondering about some things, here they are:_

_1-Hadrian's sword is the same sword that Caius uses in the future._

_2-For those of you that don't know, postpartum depression is something that happens to a women after they have a baby. Not all the time, but sometimes it will happen._

_3-Elena also had depression because, like Lucrecia from Final Fantasy VII, she could see visions of what her child would do in the future. She wasn't lying about Caius becoming a great, strong man, because he does in his own way._

_4-Okay, I know I said Caius meant rejoice, but, according to his wiki page, his name means "to be sorry" in Russian._

_5-I've recently retaken a CPR class and they taught me that when you bandage a cut, you wrap it in a criss-cross fashion._

_6-This part is based on the Neverending Story, when Bastian hides in the attic of the school. _

_Please review and tell me what you think._


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